Dear December,
Thank you for making it oh so chilly outside.
. . . And inside.
You give me an excuse to drink hot chocolate on a regular basis, cover my bed in layers upon layers of blankets, and wear fuzzy socks. (Come on – you know you love your fuzzy socks too.)
You even give me an excuse to . . . sprinkle a heap of homemade granola on top of ice cream?
Deliciousness is worth the chill, my friends.
Even though it’s almost officially winter, I’d say I’m still on my pumpkin kick. Hence how it wound up in this Thanksgiving- reminiscent granola. But seriously, what’s better than pumpkin, cranberries, cinnamon, and maple syrup? (And don’t say chocolate – that’d just be cheating!)
Exactly, not much.
This granola is slightly sweet, highly crunchy. I love the warm spiciness of the cinnamon, offset by the acidic tang of the cranberries. Too good!
Do you know what you should do with something this good – aside from eat copious amounts of it by yourself? You should give it as a gift! Here’s my proposition:
Festive Mug + Generously-Filled Bag of Granola + Cute Candy-Striped Bow = Lovely Little Holiday Gift
So simple, but still super thoughtfull.
Happy granola-making! :]
Pumpkin Cranberry Granola
– ½ C. Pecans, Coarsely Chopped
– ½ C. Walnuts, Coarsely Chopped
– 2 C. Rolled Oats
– 2/3 C. Dried Cranberries
– ½ C. Pumpkin Puree
– 1/3 C. Real Maple Syrup (I used Grade A, Amber)
– 2 Tbsp. Canola Oil
– ½ tsp. Vanilla Extract
– ½ tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice
– Pinch of Salt
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Lightly grease baking sheet (You can line the sheet with foil first, if you like). Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, maple syrup, canola oil, vanilla extract, and salt. Add in nuts, oats, and cranberries.
Transfer to prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Give granola a toss so as to keep the nuts/ oats from burning. Return to oven for another 5 minutes.
Once golden brown and beginning to crisp, remove from oven. (The granola will get more crisp as it cools.) Let cool on baking sheet, than transfer to airtight containers.
The Moonlight Baker 